Clare Minors Victorious In Waterford

CLARE have opened their Munster Minor hurling campaign with a 0-17 to 0-15 victory over Waterford in Walsh Park this afternoon.

Clare trailed three points to one after five minutes as Waterford started quickly but Clare soon found their groove and points from their full-forward line of Conner Hegarty, Diarmaid Cahill and Keith Smyth soon gave them the lead.

Indeed this inside line combo bagged 12 of the Banner’s 17 points with Smyth notching five, including three frees. Hegarty was massively influential as he buzzed around and caused constant havoc to the Waterford defence, scoring four from play and looking a star of the future.

Waterford’s free takers Aaron Ryan and Reuben Halloran did keep them in the game and while Clare were the better side in the opening half, they led by just one at half-time with the score 0-10 to 0-09.

The Déise then took the lead in the second half with two more frees from Ryan and a fine point from Jamie Gleeson as Clare didn’t score for the opening twelve minutes of the second half.

When they did start scoring though Clare took over and points from Oisin O’Donnell and Dylan Downes, as well as four more from the combo of Hegarty, Cahill and Smyth ensured Clare held a lead that Waterford couldn’t reel in to give them the two points in their opening game.

Clare: Aaron Shanahan; Storm Devanney, Adam Hogan, Cillian McGroary; Jarlath Collins, Colm O’Meara, Tony Butler; Oisín Clune, Killian O’Connor; Shane Meehan, Cian Galvin (c), Oisín O’Donnell; Conner Hegarty, Diarmaid Cahill, Keith Smyth.

Waterford: Rian Hogan; Jack Ó Flionn; Sean O’Neill, Cathrach Daly; Ruairí Fitzpatrick, Rory Furlong, Reuben Halloran; Sean Burke, Eoin O’Brien; Jamie Gleeson, Aaron Ryan, Tristan Loftus; Johnny Burke, Caolan MacCraith, Michael Cummins.